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Nicholls currently has 11 chasers in his stable with an official rating of 150 or higher. We coud have a lengthy quiz style thread, but to avoid that, the names are:
Andreas, Cerium, Dennam, Hoo La Baloo, Kauto Star, Mr Pointment, Neptune Collonges, Opera Mundi, Taranis, Turko and Twist Magic.
Would it be any great surprise if New Little Bric (145) and Gungadu (146) joined that group after their next starts?
Compare that with Hobbs (2, Monkerhostin highest at 154), O’Neill (1, Exotic Dancer) and Pipe (4, of which Well Chief is out for the season).
I certainly can’t remember a time when so much chasing talent was concentrated in one place, not even in the year of the ‘big five’ in the Gold Cup.
Hard to see any Grade 1 chase for the remainder of the season that isn’t going to have a Nicholls runner at the head of the market.
Btw, Nicholls said in interview after the Tingle Creek that Twist Magic would be put away until the Game Spirit – do you think he’d forgotten that the Victor Chandler has been changed from a handicap to a Grade 1?
AP
Looks like Twist Magic wont face Voy Por Ustedes again until the Champion Chase, whichever way he goes.
I personally have a little question mark over New Little Bric, he was very disappointing last time out and no where near justified such a short price start, so i am quite keen to see how he goes in the Boylesports Gold Cup this week.
Hoo La Baloo seems to have come on well since last season and has improved on his early runs this season (Market Rasen in particular).
Taranis looks good, Denman looks great, Kauto Star looks as good as we all expect and the yard has some top horses in there.
Will be interesting to see how Mr Pointment will go in the Grand National next year, jumped really well round the Aintree fences in November and was very impressive, one for the shortlist anyway.
Do you think having that concentration of talent in one yard is detrimental to the competitiveness of the top chases?
That’s not a statement but a question.
Colin
Colin,
No I can’t see a problem unless they’re deliberately kept apart and that’s not been the case with the stable in recent years. At least they don’t enter eight at the five day stage and then spend the week claiming they don’t which ones will run!
And they’ve all come through the ranks at Nicholls, not been purchased after winning big races – except for Mr Pointment, ironically moved by his owners in order to see him run more often
AP
The one that surprised me out of that list AP was Turko, I thought he was a mediocre Northern horse – or was that Turbo
Being serious, you’re post is a great one, and highlights the strength that Mr Nicholls has amongst the chasing ranks. He could easily win three of the biggest races of the season (Queen Mother, Gold Cup & Grand National), not forgetting many many grade 1 races.
And also not forgetting his many hurdlers and bumper horses – all stars of the future I’m sure.
Mike
I follow nicholls stable as arule and my money is going no where near new little bric
Seemed to give Liam Heard a few problems in getting him settled too last time out, didnt look the easiest of rides at all and jumped out to the left on a lot of the fences.
PFN does have an absolutely great string there, no doubt. Although judging by the comments in his stable tour a while ago he seems to concentrate on chasing types, as just about every horse in his lot was either going over fences already or "will make a cracking chaser". I’m not entirely sure why he takes this stance (I’d imagine the number of French imports he has will be a factor), but it seems to work very well for him!
An interesting statistic in the aforementioned feature; Nicholls’ strike rate is by far at it’s best in non-handicap chases, although his record in handicaps over the bigger obstacles is nothing special at all by his standards, with a record much worse than either of those two disciplines over hurdles. Can anyone shed any light on how that compares to Pipe Snr. at the height of his powers?
Interesting thread and one that triggers the sort of thought I often have about various topics in racing. Why! What do we think are the main reasons for Nicholls’ success, good at buying young stock, good at training any horse to be a good un, attracts top owners looking for winners?
Interesting question, I’ve wondered why he has such a strength in depth. Obviously he ‘s a fantastic trainer, can attract good owners with plenty of cash, but as we all know, money isn’t everything. A good network of contacts and bloodstock agents in Ireland/France obviously is one of the reasons, but he seems to find these horses every season, and not just one.
Slightly connected, but I asked a few weeks ago on here about JP’s horses, and the lack of quality, but maybe he’s not that bothered, just enjoys the ‘craic’ and having a large punt.Has Thisthatandtother dropped below 150 now?
It wouldn’t surprise me to see Dear Villez, Desert Quest and the newly-acquired Trust Fund (very impressive, if in a relatively low grade, the other day) up at that sort of level fairly soon either.
As much as I admire the man, it must be fairly disconcerting for other trainers to know that they’re likely to be playing second fiddle to Nicholls, or at least a short-price Nicholls favourite, all the way through the season. With top class talent at every trip from 2m to 4m, there isn’t one big race he won’t potentially have a runner in and his only saving grace is that with so many horses it won’t be the same ones winning every time (even Kauto Star has a rival now).
Discussing this can become very contraversial when you don’t have exact figures but what the hell it’s only a discussion.
When a trainer is put on the map by a couple of good horses new owners tend to come out of the woodwork.
Such was the case with Martin Pipe.
But how many horses did Martin Pipe go through? How many broke down due to being over raced ? How many broke down because they ran on unsuitable conditions? How many never even seen a racecourse?
Thes were the questions put to me by another very good trainer, when I praised Martin Pipe a few years back.
Of course I couldn’t answer but he assured me it was a very very high percentage in comparison to any other yard at that time.
So is PN using the same method to get winners at all costs? I don’t know and I don’t thinks so to be honest but I really don’t know for sure.
On the face of it he looks to be great trainer but to become one in the public eye you have got to have lots and lots of good owners willing to spend fortunes.
I knew a trainer who only had 28 horses in his yard when he died….all of which he bought personally for his owners, bar 4…all but 3 won at least 1 race during it’s career.
The point is there are many many small trainers who have records like that but simply never make the big time. They are simply not fashionable with owners. They neither have the contacts nor the charisma of someone like Martin Pipe.
PN has millions behind him and has made it pay. He has been very successful and long may it continue but it doesn’t make him a better trainer than Joe Bloggs up in a small farm in the Cotswolds it just makes him a better businessman.
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I personally have a little question mark over New Little Bric, he was very disappointing last time out and no where near justified such a short price start, so i am quite keen to see how he goes in the Boylesports Gold Cup this week.
KS
I doubt that his trainer was too despondent:
“He just ran like he needed it and he wanted a bit further really. He has tightened up a lot for the run, two miles five and the stiff track will suit him better. He just raced a bit lazily but he is the sort of horse who will always come on for a run, he is a lot sharper now so we are looking forward to Saturday.
Given the above, the fact that this race has been his target for a while, and the wholesale punt that has developed on the horse, you may be disappointed again this week – particularly, if you’re expecting him to run the same kind of race.
[/i]Btw, Nicholls said in interview after the Tingle Creek that Twist Magic would be put away until the Game Spirit – do you think he’d forgotten that the Victor Chandler has been changed from a handicap to a Grade 1?
Given that Twist Magic has been raised to an er…’less than attractive’ 173, Nicholls should be eternally grateful the VC is no longer a handicap. Suspect it was an oversight and expect TM to be entered in the VC unless connections are keen to give the young horse a lightish first season in open company.
If he treats owners with the same straightforward respect as with the public (and im sure he does) that probably goes along way towards explaining why he attracts such support
But none of that should blind us to the fact that he is a brilliant trainer.
Well i think so anyway…
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